Improvement in ratchet-presses



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..V

PHILIP H. RAIFORD, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RATCHET-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,509, dated June 8, 1858.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, PHILIP H. RAIEORD, of the city and county of Mobile, and State of Alabama, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Ratchet-Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents the device in elevation as applied to a cottonspress; and Fig. 2 represents a view in perspective of the elements or component parts of the device, a b being pawls, c d ratchets, e f eccentrics to actuate the pawls, and g a revolving shaft on which the pawls are mounted.

In ratchet-presses as heretofore constructed the pawls have been actuated either by asingle lever or by a system of levers. Where great force was required for compression, the single lever had to be made so long and large as to be unwieldy, and its range of motion was much greater than was consistent with a due regard to compactness. When a combination of levers was employed to render the machine more compact, that advantage was more than counterbalanced by its increased complexity and liability to derangement.

The object of my invention, among other things, isto obviate the above-named objections to the ratchet-press, to accomplish which I actuate the pawl that moves the ratchet by means of an eccentric on a revolving shaft, and as the power with which the ratchet is operated by this arrangement is inversely as the difference between the longest and shortest radii of the eccentric it is obvious that a press of great compactness, simplicity, and strength and of any required power can readily be made upon this plan.

The accompanying drawings of my improvement as applied to a cottonpress represent the two pawls a b mounted upon two eccentrics, ef, said eccentrics being mounted upon a revolving shaft, g, in such manner that their greatest radii are on diametricallyopposite sides of the shaft, the pawls being connected by bands 7L t' with the eccentrics. By this arrangement one of the pawls is advanced a distance equal to the difference between the longest and shortest radii of its eccentric at every semi-revolution of the shaft g, while the other is at the same time retracted 'an equal distance. On the other half of the revolution of the shaft the pawl that was previously advanced is retracted to the point whence it started, and the other pawl correspondingly advanced. The ratchets .c d each have a series of angular teeth of the usual form at a distance apart somewhat less than the range of motion of the pawls, to give the requisite freedom for the latter to catch freely behind the teeth. The two ratchets are attached to a follower or stem projecting from the platen in such manner that the points of the teeth of one are oppositethe middle of the spaces between the teeth of the other, the distance of the teeth apart and the relative arrangement of the teeth of the two ratchets being governed by the relative arrangement of the eccentrics upon the revolving shaft.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Rotary motion being communicated to the shaft g by the winch k, or in any other suitaable manner, the eccentrics ej' revolve with it. The pawl a, mounted on the eccentric e,drops or catches behind a tooth in the ratchet c, and pushes it forward a distance somewhat greater than that by which the teeth are separated, which permits the pawl b to drop behind and catch another tooth of the ratchet d. The pawl a, owing to the continued rota tion ofthe shaft, then begins to retract, simultaneously with which the pawl b (mounted on the eccentric j' and taking into the ratchet d) commences its forward movement, which is equal to that of the other pawl, a, and therefore pushes the ratchet forward another tooth. rPhis operation is repeated at every rotation of the shaft.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the eccentric, pawl, and ratchet with the platen of a press, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

PHILIP H. RAIFORI).

In presence of- J No. RONDIAN, WM. D. PErMRosE. 

